Many dispensing machines, generally of the coin operated type, in which a coin is inserted and a handle is pulled to actuate the machine, no longer use mechanical actuation but instead are electronically operated. Such apparatus include vending machines, change machines and the like. Particularly affected machines are coin operated gaming machines of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,285,380 and 3,273,571 in which the pay-out is determined by random positions of movable mechanical components such as wheels or rotating discs. Such mechanisms are well known to those skilled in the art and are often referred to as slot machines. Such machines may actually distribute coins themselves or may simply be used for entertainment for giving away prizes, depending on the final position of the rotating discs, usually having various designs, marks, figures, or pictures thereon which are visible to the player.
Older machines of this type incorporate mechanical actuation by pulling a spring loaded handle of the machine, which, through a series of gears, levers and/or similar mechanical components, actuate or spin the discs. In many of such prior machines, the rate and time of disc rotation is determined by the force and speed used by the operator in pulling the handle. Such mechanical devices gave the operator the feeling of at least partially contributing to and determining or selecting winning combination on the discs, depending on the force applied to the handle during the pull actuation of the apparatus. In the later developed electrically operated and actuated devices of this type, the handle pull simply closes a switch or the like which initiates operation of the apparatus. Although the handle may be biased by a spring or the like to resist the pull of the operator, with the mechanical actuation components removed, there is no "feel" of meshing gears, detents, ratchets or the like and with only actuation of a switch at the end of the handle pull there is little if any operator satisfaction of contributing to or influencing the selection of a winning combination.